soap bubble
Americannoun
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a bubble of soapsuds.
-
something that lacks substance or permanence.
noun
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a bubble formed from soapy water
-
something that is ephemeral but attractive
Etymology
Origin of soap bubble
First recorded in 1805–15
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His critiques and conclusions are as edgy as a soap bubble.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
Our cells are surrounded by a fragile membrane that's only 5 nanometers thick, 1/20 of a soap bubble.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 22, 2024
One example involves the skin of a soap bubble stretched over a surface.
From Scientific American ● Mar. 23, 2023
Snapshots have included the Southern Ring nebula, which resembles a soap bubble expanding from a dead star, and the striking Carina nebula, composed of swirling dust akin to jagged cliffs.
From New York Times ● Aug. 4, 2022
Harry wanted to slam the door in their faces, but it felt as though a cold draft had entered the room when the door opened, and his shining moment had popped like a soap bubble.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
